Roof moisture inspections are one application of IR thermography many in the industry have heard of, but not so many have attempted. It’s kind of a niche application. In my decade of experience, I’ve only had the opportunity to be involved in a handful of roof moisture inspections. Each one was unique and presented its own set of challenges. I’ve done hundreds of electrical and mechanical inspections over the years. While the locations vary, along with the types of electrical apparatus, you can generally expect the same sort of scenarios each time with electrical and mechanical inspections. Not with roofs though.
If you’ve experienced a Level I – Thermographic Applications course, you’ve been exposed to the basics of roof moisture inspections using IR thermography. In class, we discuss the guidelines for inspections as discussed in the ASTM 1153; Standard Practice for Location of Wet Insulation in Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging, including summer and winter inspection. The list the conditions have to be met in order for an attempt at a roof moisture inspection to be successful. We show examples of roof moisture inspections that illustrate the patterns associated with each type of roof insulation.
Usually after we cover the roofing topic, students ask how to penetrate the roof moisture inspection market. In presenting the application, I think the impression is that roof inspections are easier than they actually are. We highlight best-case scenarios in our discussion of the application to aid in understanding and comprehension. However, when you encounter best-case conditions many things are easier than they otherwise might be. For the neophyte thermographer, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of a roof moisture inspection. Trust me - it’s not as easy as it can appear to be.
Roof moisture inspections are as much an art as a science. The standards suggest beginning your inspection an hour or two after sunset, after a sunny day. How long it takes for a pattern to emerge is dependent upon many factors such as roof construction, weather conditions, camera resolution, and other items. There’s no hard fast rule. If there’s ballast on the roof, it impacts both what you see and how soon you’ll see it. Also, the patterns often can be obscure, more so than many of the standard images you may be accustom to seeing. Hence, it takes an experienced eye to pick out some of the lower magnitude anomalies.
What does the newly minted thermographer do? It’s a good idea to spend time perfecting the inspection process. If you can, try to tag along with a more experienced thermographer on your first few roof inspections. That’s a good idea with any of the applications. Consider a mentoring visit from someone at The Snell Group. It’s one thing we offer that helps you get on the right track. Whatever you choose, remember that mastering an art takes time.